ISLAMABAD - The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the federal capital on Monday witnessed an upward trend with over 460 cases in the previous 24 hours and five deaths.
District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. Zaeem Zia while cautioning citizens about the increase in COVID-19 cases said on social media website, “469 positive cases for today with positivity of 12.59%.”
According to the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) details 469 cases of the COVID-19 cases were confirmed with five more deaths taking the overall death toll of the city to 665.
According to the NCOC data, 73450 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed so far in the city out of which 59993 have recovered also.
During ongoing month, 15617 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the city with 105 deaths.
Meanwhile, two major hospitals of the federal capital including Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Federal Government Services (FGS) Polyclinic hospital both have stopped elective surgeries due to influx of the COVID-19 patients. Both hospitals are performing only emergency surgeries.
Officials at PIMS and Polyclinic hospital said that the third wave of COVID-19 is severe and patients’ influx is increasing. Officials said that the scheduled surgeries have been postponed maintaining oxygen supply for COVID-19 patients.
At Polyclinic hospital, the ventilators allotted for COVID-19 are also going to fill while 27 out of 37 oxygen beds are also occupied.
The polyclinic hospital has also reduced the Outpatient Department (OPD) timing from 8 am to 2 pm instead of 8 am to 11 am.
According to the details available about PIMS hospital, oxygen usage of the hospital is m3/day 7242 and reserve oxygen is (m3) 6971, while number of reserved cylinders is 400mm. The number of COVID-19 beds in the hospital is 183 out of which 150 are occupied. There are 21 ventilators in the hospital and six are filled with patients.
The high flow oxygen beds in the hospital are 142 and 124 are filled with patients, while all 20 low flow oxygen beds are also occupied. The hospital has 11000 N-95 masks, 325 paramedics and 96 doctors in the COVID-19 wards.
Earlier, the PIMS hospital had issued a notification to make alternate arrangements due to increasing number of COVID-19 patients.
The notification said that due to heavy load of COVID-19 patients in the indoor and emergency area of the hospital oxygen pressure has increased manifold, it has been decided that elective/planned surgeries are postponed indefinitely.
The patients admitted in COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit Medical Ward 2 will be shifted to other intensive care units where oxygen pressure will be maintainable, as required.
In the wake of above, it is stated that PIMS/FMTI has reached its maximum capacity to admit and treat the COVID-19 patients and scores of COVID-19 patients are waiting in emergency room occupying oxygen points.
It is therefore requested that Ministry of National Health Services may be approached to strengthen/ramp up the facilities in the capital to cater for patients who have been suffering from COVID-19.
Spokesperson Ministry of NHS Sajid Hussian Shah said that ministry is keenly looking into growing situation of COVID-19 and increasing burden of patients on hospitals.
He said that all efforts are being made to facilitate hospitals and patients visiting hospitals, but residents should strictly follow COVID-19 SOPs to remain safe from getting infected.
Separately, PIMS Board of Governors (BOGs) appointed Joint Executive Director (JED) Dr. Minhaj Siraj as hospital director. The notification issued in this regard said that the Board of Governors Federal Medical Teaching Institute PIMS is pleased to notify Dr. Minhaj us Siraj as hospital director in addition to his own duties w.e.f 26th April 2021 till the appointment of regular incumbent.